To reduce heat gain and glare, new types of tinted glass can be specified that reduce the impact of the sun's heat without sacrificing view. Spectrally selective glazings absorb and reflect the infrared portion of sunlight whilst still transmitting visible daylight.

Primary uses for tinted glazings are to reduce glare from outside, minimise UV fading to furnishings and decrease the amount of solar heat gain through windows. The most common colours for tinted glass are green, grey and bronze, which do not greatly alter the perceived colour of the view. Colour density in tinted glass increases as glass thickness does. Visible light transmittance will decrease as glass thickness increases.